Directive of J.V. Stalin and V.M. Molotov on sabotage and demonstration processes in the field of animal husbandry. October 2, 1937

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Directive of J.V. Stalin and V.M. Molotov on sabotage and demonstration processes in the field of animal husbandry. October 2, 1937

Archive source: The tragedy of the Soviet village. Collectivization and dispossession of kulaks Documents and materials Volume 5 1937 ‐1939 Book 1. 1937 Moscow ROSSPEN 2004. Pp. 486.

Archive: RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 57. Typewritten text edited by I.V.

Stalin. Signatures are autographs.

No. 340

Directive of J.V. Stalin and V.M. Molotov on sabotage and demonstration processes in the field of animal husbandry 1 * .

All secretaries of regional committees, regional committees, national communist parties, all chairmen of councils of peopleʹs commissars, regional executive committees,  all prosecutors of republics, territories and regions 2 *

On the basis of the investigative materials of the NKVD of the USSR, it was established that in the territories and regions 3 * the subversive work of the enemies of the people took an especially malicious form of sabotage and sabotage in the development of animal husbandry. This subversive work expressed itself:

a)                   In carrying out acts of bacteriological sabotage by infecting cattle, horses, sheep and pigs with plague, foot and mouth disease, anthrax, brucellosis, anemia and other epidemic diseases;

b)                  in disruption of the supply of drugs and disinfectants to areas affected by epizootics and sabotage in the production of serum at biofactories;

c)                   in the wrecking reduction of 4 * sown areas of forage crops in order to narrow the forage base.

A significant number of veterinarians, livestock specialists, laboratory assistants of biofactories were arrested for sabotage in the field of animal husbandry, who, in fact, were the organizers of the spread of infectious diseases leading to mass death of livestock. Over the past year, as a result of sabotage in the field of animal husbandry, collective farmers have lost hundreds of thousands of cattle and horses, not to mention the death of small livestock.

In order to protect the collective and state farms from the wrecking activities of the enemies of the people, the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All‐Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) decided to defeat and destroy the personnel of pests in the field of animal husbandry.

The Council of Peopleʹs Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All‐Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) oblige all secretaries of regional committees, regional committees, Central Committees of national communist parties, all chairmen of councils of peopleʹs commissars of republics and chairmen of executive committees of regions and territories to organize immediately demonstration trials of pests in animal husbandry, meaning both exposed veterinarians, livestock technicians, laboratory technicians of biofactories and workers of local land and state farm bodies. To this end, the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) propose to organize in each republic, territory and region from 3 to 6 open demonstration trials with the involvement of the peasant masses and broad coverage of the process in the press.

Convicted of sabotage to be sentenced to death, to publish the execution of sentences in the local press.

Chairman of the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars of the USSR V.

Molotov.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) I. Stalin.

1  * On the document there is a note: ʺIt went to the places in cipher on October 2, 1937, see the folder of the Politburo decisionsʺ and the signatures during the voting of Stalin, Molotov, Kaganovich, Kalinin, Voroshilov and Chubar. However, as a resolution, the directive was not included in the minutes of the meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b).

2  * Here and below, the words highlighted in the text are inscribed by Stalin.

3  * Strikethrough: “most edges and areas”.

4  * Crossed out: ʺseed planningʺ.